Cotton cultivator



June 14, 1938.

Filed June 5, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 1 aan o June 14, 1938. w w. YQUNG 2,120,915

coTTN CULTIVATOR Filed Jun 5, 1937 2' sheets-sheet 2 Snoentor (Ittornegs.

Patented June 14,1938 n UNITED STATES alzas-is .PATENT oFFicE 2,120,915 Y Co'r'roN CUnTivA'roa t YWilliam Young, Cartersville, Ga. v f Application June 5, 1937, Serial No. 146,684

f claims. (orar- 22) f The present invention relates to improvements in cotton cultivatorsyand has for an object to provide al cotton chopper in which the chopping for hoeing action will be efficient and positive and fk5 inwhich the expense of manufacture and maintethe invention will be more fully described here- .inafterg and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims Vappended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols referto like or corresponding parts throughout the severalviews, f

Figure l is a perspective view of an improved cotton chopper constructed. in accordance with the present invention. l

Figure 2 isv a rear elevation with parts broken away and parts lshown in section. Y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the cylinder. Figure 4.is a similar View with parts broken away and parts sho-wn in section and showing a portion of the cylinder involving the operative mechanism for the hoes, and

Figure 5 -is a lperspective view of the inner frame. y

Referring more particularly to the drawings, VI `designates the wheels which are mounted to turn freely on a stationary axle 2 extending through'the center of the machine, which is in thegeneral form of a cylinder. Such axle 2 is non-rotatively secured to an inner frame 3, which frame is more Vfully illustrated in Figure 5.. There are two wheels I. Each of these wheels, in the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, contains sixteen spokes. The sixteen spokes are spaced around the rim I to alternate between eight inches apart and approximately four inches apart, measured on` the circumference of the wheels I. This provides a cylinder divided into sections alternating in size and distributed all laround such cylinder. Steel sheets 4 extend from a .spoke of one wheel to 1a corresponding spoke in the opposite wheelv I. These sheets actin the 50' capacity of guards rasl will be'r'hereinafter. ex-

plained. f f

At their inner portions thev guards 4 carry tracks5. These tracks are only in the wider sections of the cylinder. Such tracks 5 serve as runways for the chopper bases or cross-heads 6.

- cross-heads.

Such `cross-head is more particularly shown, in Figure 4. Such cross-head may-be rectangular in form or of any other shape, the sameA being wide enough to t the tracks 5 of adjacent guards Il. The cross-head 6 is mounted toreciprocate in said tracks 5 longitudinally or axially'fof the cylinder. Thecross-head 6 is pulled in one direction by one or more coil springs 'I which are at- .tached to the cross-head 6 at one end and to a xed block or other part 8 at the other end. The f the two adjacent guards 4 in each wider section of the cylinder. Such block 8 is preferably in alinement with the cross-head 6.

' cylinder.

If desired the'coil springs 'I may be secured to the cross-head iik at the end thereof farthest from the block 8 in order that the extremelength may give more elasticity. Theends of the tracks 5 away fromthe blocks 8 are left open so that the chop-per bases or cross-heads 6 may be removed when necessary. y

Each cross-head or chopper base carries hoes I0. Anti-friction rollers 9 are provided whenever necessary on the cross-head 6 for bearing against the tracks 5 or theguards 4, or both, in order to. reduce the friction and ease the motion of the The hoes I0 may be of any form or style and supplied in any appropriate number. In the form of theinvention shown, two hoes are shown as carried by each cross-head. These hoes are vbolted orotherwise secured to the cross-heads 6.

'Ihe hoes are curved toward the block 8 in each case as shown in Figure 2. In otherwords they are curved in the direction of their chopping `block may also-extend between,` and be affixed to, f

There will be four blocks 8at one end of the cylinder and four movement. The hoesmay be made adjustable'if desired.

Each large section of the cylinder contains one cross-head 6. Four of the cross-heads are con nected by their springs 'l to blocks 8 on the lefty end of the cylinder, and four to blocks ELon the right end of the cylinder, such blocks alternating. The action of pulling these hoes Ill away from their anchorage and then allowing them to spring back 'is the principle of operation which creates the chopping action. Cam or spiral tracks II are preferablyvemployed for this purpose. The rollers I2 on the cross-heads 6 are adapted. to travel o-ver these spiral tracks. There are two such spiral tracks I I. One of these spiral tracks winds in one direction and the other in the relatively opposite directio-n. One spiral track takes care of four of the cross-heads and the otherV spiral track operates the four alternate crossheads. The cam tracks II are supported by braces I3 from the non-rotative axle 2.V The cam tracks II are therefore stationary and do not rotate. The braces I3 are attached to the inner faces of the tracks leaving the outer faces thereof uninterrupted for the passage of the rollers I2 as more particularly seen in Figure 3'. VThese tracksV might be said to begin at the brace I3 which points directly downward, curving up and aroundV pull the cross-head 6 and the hoes I0 through the ground. In other words a gap is left between the adjacent Yends of each cam track in order that there will be no interference with the roller I2' in the recoil which takes place at this lower point in the cylinder.

The cam tracks II before coming together at theV origin point will extend some considerable distance beyond the adjacent brace I3. It is also preferred that the cam tracks I I beyond the bracebe made of suicient thinness to produce comparatively great flexibility in these unsupported ends so that, in the event the machine should be backed while the cylinder is still on theground, the roller I2 will be free to pass back through and out at this point and be in a position to start forward again. Stops I4 arecarried by the guards 4 between the tracks 5 in position to be engaged by the cross-heads 6 whereby to arrest the recoil motion of the cross-heads 6 in a position where the rollers I2 will preferably encounter the origin end of cam track I I.

The narrow sections of the cylinder between adjacent guards 4 serve as a'protection for the cotton that must be left to grow. The guards 4 on eitherV side of this four inch space not only Yprotect the cotton from the hoes` I0 but keep the dirt from being thrown on it when the chopping action takes place. j

The inner frame 3 is a preferably rectangular open frame extending about the cylinder.l The ends of the axle 2 are rigidly secured in the side members of the frame in any particular manner, as by the use of bolts or cotter pins I5.

The carriage which supports the cylinder and in which the cylinder is vertically adjustable so as to lower same upon the ground or lift the cylinder up above thergrournd, consists generally in arectangular outer frame I6 which is larger Y than the inner frame 3 and spaced therefrom on all four-sides. The outer frame I6 is supported by the ground wheels I'I. Y

Curved brackets I 8 on the front part of the outer frame I6 are bolted to upright bars I9 onk the inner frame'3, there being a series of perforaf tions in the upright bars I9 for the purpose of vertical adjustment between the two frames. By this adjustment the cross-heads 6 are adjusted to a level position with respect to the ground at the lower side'of the cylinder. extends upwardly from the front of the right side of the outer frame I6. hand lever are-the control gears or locking ratchet 2I. To this lever 20 is attached a rod 22 running A hand lever-2l) Y At the foot Of'this backwards and connectingY with an upstanding v arm 25 on a rock shaft 23. The rock shaft is journaled in bearings 24 on the rear bar of the outer frame II.V Arched arms 26 are moved by the rock shaft 23 which extend upward and forward and whichhook in the links 21 secured to the innerframe 3 in any appropriate manner, as by staples 23. By swingingthe lever 20, the back member of the inside frame 3 can be raised or lowered to the desired height, the front o-f the Y inner frame remaining in approximately the same position. When the rear portion of inner frame 3 is lifted, the cylinder will be removed upwardly from the ground.

To the front center of the outer'frame is securedthe tongue 29 for the purpose of pulling the machine through the eld. Carried by the tongue or by therframe I6, or by both, is a seat 3I for the driver and operator.` This seat may 'curve over` the cylinder whereby to'bring the driver into a convenient position for manipulating the hand lever 20. The spokes 32 of the wheels .I are attached to hubs 33. The hubs rotate freely about the rounded trunnions 34 of the non-rotative draft animals or by a tractor. The operator occupying the seat 3| may shift the hand lever 2U to lower the drum into contact with the ground. Contact with the ground will cause the drum to roll around. During the course of its rotary movement about the stationary shaft 2, the drum will carry the cross-heads 6 around with it. The rollers I2 on the cross-heads will thus be compelled to travel on the'camtracks II, such cam tracks being so designed as to move thel crossheads 6 in the tracks away from the stationary blocks 8.V

In this manner the springs are stretched or put under a potential condition'of tension whereby, when the rollersY I2 get to the'- bottom of the cylinder,Y that is at the ends of the high points of the cam tracks and move off such high points,

the coil springs will exert the energy stored therecylinder where Ythe gaps in the cam tracks occur.

This is the position in which the hoes Illare brought intolthe ground and into a correct operative position to rakethe ground to a proper depth whereby to` remove the cotton.

Asrtl'ieV cylinder rotates the large sections carrying the cross-heads and the hoes will be presented to the ground alternately with the narrow sections of the cylinder in which no crossheads or hoes appear. In this way rows of cotton plants will be left to stand while the intervening space therebetween will be plowedV up by the hoes I0; This action of the hoes I0 will also cultivate the cotton plants in the rows left by the narrow sections of the drum or cylinder. The walls 4 at the opposite sides of the narrow sections will Vguard and shield the plants in the Vmarmer heredirections whichrwill have a beneficial effect on the plantsand also tend to balance the vibration in the drum incidental to the impact of the crossheads against the stops I4.y

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design ofthe above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope oi the following claims. f

What is claimed is:

1. A cotton chopper comprising a drum adapted to roll along the ground, guard partitions in said drum dividing same into sections, tracks in alternate sections, cross-heads movably mounted on the tracks, chopping means carried by the crossheads, stationary cam means, projections on the cross-heads engaging said cam means to move the cross-heads along the tracks, said cam means having a gap at the lower part oi' the drum, and elastic means connected between said cross-heads and the drum for pulling said cross-heads back to initial position when said projections are released from the cam means. Y l

2. A cotton chopper comprising a drum adapted to roll along the ground, guard partitions set substantially radially in the drum and dividing said drum into a number of large and small sections, the large sections alternating with the small sections, said partitions extending out to the periphery of the drum, tracks carried by said guard partitions in the larger sections, cross-heads mounted to reciprocate in said tracks and to move axially ofthe drum, projections on said crossheads, a stationary cam track Within the drum positioned to be engaged by said projections for moving the cross-heads in one direction, said cam track having a gap at the lower portion of the drum, chopping means carried by the cross-heads, and elastic means for drawing the cross-heads back to initial position when the projections are released by said cam means.

3. A cotton chopper comprising a drum adapted to roll along the ground, chopping means movably carried by said drum and having projections thereon, a cam track in proximity to the drum disposed to engage said projections, said cam track having a gap at the bottom portionV of the drum for releasing said projections, means for carrying said cam track, said means being attached to the origin end of the track at a specimeans movably mounted between certain of said partitions, cam tracks carried by said stationary axle, projections on said chopping means engaging said vcam tracks for moving the chopping means in one direction, one of said cam tracks extending spirally in one direction and the other spirally in an opposite direction, the projections of every other chopping means engaging one of said cam tracks and the projections of the intervening chopping means engaging the Vother cam track, said cam tracks having gaps at the lower portions of the chopper, and elastic means for tensioning the chopping means and for restoring same to original position.

5. A cotton chopper comprising a drum adapted to roll along the ground, cotton chopping means carried by said drum, operating means for. said cotton means, a shaft for said drum, an inner rectangular frame extending about said drum and supported by the trunnions ofsaid axle, an outer wheeled rectangular carriage extending about said inner frame, means for adjustably and pivotally attaching the forward portion of said inner frame to the forward portion of said carriage, means for c'onnecting the rear portion of the inner frame to the rear portion of said carriage, and including links on said inner frame, and operating means including arched arms engaging said links and a rock shaft connected to said arms for moving said last named means up and down, whereby to raise and lower the frame and drum with respect to said carriage.

WILLIAM W. YOUNG. 

